Aeroplane.



J. L. RUGG.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED JA1 I.16,19l3v 1 84 168 Patented Jan 13, 1914.

WITNESSES: J [NV/5N TOR.

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JOE It. RUGGr, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

AEROILANE.

Specification of letters Patent.

Patented Jan. I3, IQId.

Application filed January 16, 1913. Serial No. 742,417.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jon L. Rose, a citizen of the United States, andresiding in Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Aeroplanes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in aeroplanes.

It relates particularly to the structure of a supporting plane of anaeroplane.

The object of my invention is to provide a supporting plane for anaeroplane which volplaning may be safely and easily effected.

My invention provides further a construc tion of supporting plane whichwill enable an aeroplane to soar and even to rise wlth the employment ofthe wind alone as a motive power.

My improvement is adapted to be applied to biplanes or monoplanes.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment ofmy invention as applied to a monoplane, Figure 1 is a perspective viewof the aeroplane. lFlg. 2 is a cross section, enlarged, on the line a-J)of Fig.3. Fig. 3 is a view, partly in plan and partly in section of aportion of the aeroplane.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts in the differentviews.

1 designates the body of the aeroplane, which may be of any usual typeand in the drawings being shown as the conventional body of a monoplane.

2 designates the wings or supportingplanes attached to'the body I atopposite sides thereof. The usual ailrons, not shown, may be employed.Each supporting plane 2 comprises a plurality of transversely extendingplane sections 3 disposed, preferably, one in advance of the other, andeach section, excepting the forward one, being arranged with its forwardedges disposed higher than and separated from the rear edge of thesection which is in advance thereof, as best shown in Fig. 52.Preferably, the sections 3 are each inclined forwardly and upwardly,and, preferably, the sections are disposed so that the plane 2 as awhole is forwardly and upwardly inclined. In the preferred form of myinvention, each section 3 has a forwardly rising camber, the mosteflicient form of the section being ogee in cross section, is, in theform of a reversely curved line with the camber portion, designated byd, at the forward portion of the section. Also in the preferred form ofmy invention the plane 2 as a whole has a forwardly rising camber, thatis, the rear of each plane section lies in a common curved line denotedby the dotted line cd in Fig.

i 2. Suitable tie bars 5 disposed transversely to the sections 3 serveto retain them in their proper positions. Truss mechanism comprisingtruss rods 6 connected to the sections 3 and supported by verticalbraces 7 mounted on the body 1 may be provided.

In volplaning or scaring, the wind passing against the camber portions4: of the sections 3 will have a tendency to lift the machine, while thereversely curved portions of the sections at the rear of the camberportions t will tend to support the machine, the disposal of thesections so that the plane as a whole has a forwardly rising camberassisting in this function.

With the sections 3 spaced apart, as shown, each section will havedirected upon it a portion of the wind which is not directed against theother sections, and after the wind has exerted its lifting effect uponthe camber portion 4; it will then serve to act upon the portion to therear of said camber portion for the purpose of supporting the machine.Thus by directing the machine with the usual guiding mechanism so thatthe axis of the machine will be inclined to the current of air,volplaning may be readily and safely accomplished, and with asuliiciently strong wind and suitable manipulation of-the guidingmechanism soaring may be accomplished, and even rising flight may beefiected without the use of engine power. Thus by holding the machine ina position at the right downward inclination to the wind, the camberportions 4 of the, sections 3 will, like kites, tend to lift themachine, and each section will be acted upon by comparatively fresh orundisturbed air, the result of which will be to lift the machine as akite is lifted, the wind being sumciently strong for the purpose. Involplaning in still air, a like effect will be produced, that is a kiteefiect, the forward movement of the machine serving as substitute forthe wind.

I do not limit my invention to the structure shown and described, asmodifications, within the scope of the appended claims, may be madewithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim' and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is v 1. An aeroplane supporting plane having aplurality of transversely extending plane sections disposed oneimadvance of and adj acent to the other, each section having a reversely curved under surface, the forward portion of which is concaveand the rear portion convex, the rear of the plane sections lying in acommon curved line. I

2. An aeroplane supporting plane having a plurality of transverselyextending plane sections disposed one in advance of and adjacent to theother, each section inclining forwardly and upwardly and having areversely curved under surface, the forward portion of which is concaveand the rear portion convex, the rear of the plane sections lying in acommon curved line.

3. An aeroplane supporting plane, having a plurality of transverselyextending plane sections, disposed one in advance of the other, eachsection'inclining forwardly and upwardly, and having an under surfacethe forward portion of which is concave and the rear portion of which isconvex, the front edge of a section being disposed higher than andseparated from the rear edge of the next preceding section, the rear andforward edges of plane sections which are adjacent ,to each other beinglocated closely adjacent to vertical planes which pass respectivelybetween-said forward and rear edges, the rear edges of the planesections lying in a conimon forwardly and upwardly curved line.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inpresence of two subscribing witnesses.

J L. RUGG.

Witnesses:

E. B. HOUSE, AUSTIN M CHARPIE.

